Punters following their instinct could be on the right track again this year.
Betting on the Grand National is well-known to be a free-for-all, with many punters following their gut based on names, numbers and colours. This year therefore, the already well-backed Rock The Kasbah could hold the key to success for fans of The Clash.
The punk band’s 1982 hit Rock the Casbah is sure to be linked to the name of the gelding trained by Philip Hobbs as punters trawl the potential entrants for this year’s race.
The nine-year-old is a 25/1 shot to win the 2019 Grand National across most bookies, with a best price of 33/1 still available in places.
He’s currently the third most-backed horse in the entire market behind bookies’ favourites Tiger Roll (25/1) and Vintage Clouds (25/1). With 9% of bets, plenty of shrewd ante-post bettors have already sent money his way, long before the flood of punters go with their hunch on the day.
Following omens in the famous Aintree race has proved fruitful in the past for music fans. 33/1 winner Rule the World received a huge amount of backing on the day of the 2016 Grand National, which many put down to Take That fans.
Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey Richard Johnson spoke recently of his desire to win the Grand National this year and he plans to ride Rock The Kasbah in the great steeplechase. With that in mind, it could be fans of The Clash that rock the bookies come April.
Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek: “If there is one race where the majority of flutters are placed with one's heart rather than their head it is the Grand National, so it would be a shock if Rock the Kasbah wasn't one of the worst results for bookmakers come race day.
"Maybe there will also be a spike in interest from fans of 90s Italian football too; Mall Dini is currently 33/1 for the Aintree race."
